DNA-programmable nano-impact electrochemistry: from principles to bioanalytical applications

Abstract

Nano-impact electrochemistry (NIE) is a single-entity electroanalytical technique that quantifies analytes by counting transient collision currents at a microelectrode. Its frequency-based readout enables digital quantitation with ultralow detection limits and inherent multiplexing from distinct impact signatures, making NIE highly attractive for biosensing applications. Yet, native biomolecular collisions rarely yield informative readouts as most targets are electrochemically inert or lack sufficient electrochemical footprints to generate characteristic impact signatures. Leveraging their inherent programmability, rich functionalities, and rich transformation repertoires, DNA molecules have emerged as effective transduction modules that couple specific molecular recognition to robust collision signals through reporter nanoparticles. This review surveys recent advances in DNA-programmable NIE biosensors, focusing on DNA switch-assisted and DNA circuit-amplified strategies, and highlights representative applications in biomolecular analysis. The current challenges and potential solutions of these DNA-programmable NIE biosensors and their future developments in this emerging field are also discussed.